


a song for every sacrifice

by JayQueenofHugs (bifangirl)



Series: house rocks [1]
Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Character Study, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sacrifice, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:28:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24573082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bifangirl/pseuds/JayQueenofHugs
Summary: that left your broken hands as cold as iceA series of character studies for the Rocks Sisters and Amethar
Relationships: Caramelinda Rocks/Lazuli Rocks (mentioned), Rococoa Rocks & Lazuli Rocks & Citrina Rocks & Sapphria Rocks & Amethar Rocks, Sapphria Rocks & Calroy Cruller, The Rocks Family, The Rocks Sisters
Series: house rocks [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1790635
Comments: 16
Kudos: 28





	1. lazuli

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Descriptions of blood/gore/violence, character death  
> Spoilers for ACoC 8  
> Work title is from After All by The Altogether

Lazuli Rocks is named after a pretty stone, a fact she rubs in her sister's face when they're young. “Whatever, _Rock Rocks_ ,” she oft says with a grin, only to be scolded by their mother.

“Princess Lazuli Rocks,” Queen Pamelia responds strictly, “You’re in a castle and in public, do not tease your sister like that. You’re royalty, and someday you’ll have to be in charge. Maybe not of all of Candia, but you _will_ have to lead. And for that, you’ll need to learn some _maturity._ ”

And Lazuli does stop, but only in front of their mother. The teasing continues in private, and Rococoa, smart enough to not retaliate in public, finally gets an opportunity to fire back.

“Y’know, you should probably listen to mother, _Gem Rocks,_ ” Rococoa replies on occasion, a soft smirk on her face. “She’s right; you _will_ need to lead. Even though you won’t be Queen like I will.”

This starts another round of bickering, Lazuli playing right into her sister’s hands. They antagonize each other over minor things non-stop, neither one actually listening to the other. And the cycle keeps going until Citrina is born, both of them pausing and taking turns to look after their baby sister. And when Citrina grows up a bit, she joins in as well. And all is good in Castle Candy.

* * *

Out of all of her siblings, Lazuli feels like she pays the most attention to their lessons. Of course, it's not even remotely true, but she lets herself pretend it is. In reality, Rococoa pays more attention than Lazuli does, despite her affinity for combat, and among all of them, it’s a well-known fact that Citrina adores learning about the Bulbian Church. Of course, Sapphria outshines all of them when it comes to history and politics, despite being second-last in line for the throne. And Amethar knows more than people think, despite how much he hates their lessons. So, despite Lazuli's insistence that she knows the most, her siblings really are better than her sometimes - not that she would ever admit it to their faces.

It’s this fact that drives Lazuli to learn about magic, to find something to distinguish herself from her siblings. She goes to her mother about it, knowing full well her father wouldn’t be willing to talk.

“Mother?” she asks, as sweetly as she’s capable of. “I want to learn magic.”

Her mind and heart both race as she awaits Queen Pamelia’s response. _“What if she says no?”_ comes the first thought into her mind, filling her with uncertainty and doubt. She pushes it away quickly, coming up with retaliations and arguments for her side. Her mind is so busy that she almost misses the thoughtful but hesitant look that crosses her mother’s face, and she quickly changes her focus back to the conversation at hand.

“What’s brought this on, Lazuli? Why do you want to learn magic, and why should I let you?”

Lazuli’s mind whirls as she tries to think of the best way to answer. She can’t think too long about it, however, because she knows Pamelia will notice something wrong if she doesn’t respond quickly and with her usual wit. “I just think it would be wise for there to be a mage in House Rocks, that’s all,” she says, trying her hand at one of Sapphria’s charming smiles. She thinks it works because a second later, a small smile adorns her mother’s face.

“You can learn magic as long as you can come up with something to tell the other kingdoms,” Queen Pamelia Rocks tells her daughter. And thus starts the path of Archmage Lazuli Rocks.

Lazuli dedicates much of her time to learning magic, intrigued by everything she finds in the old books of Castle Candy’s dusty library. She spends her time after lessons reading, and it’s not rare to find her awake late at night, engrossed in a book and using magic to give her light. She absorbs the information, filing it away in her mind as she reads more and more about mystic powers. Eventually, she starts using her powers for menial tasks, inspired by Rococoa’s annoyance with it. She forces herself to stop, however, when Queen Pamelia expresses her… frustrations with it.

“Lazuli Rocks!” the Queen exclaims after dinner one night, barely-masked fury on her face. “Magic is not a toy to play around with, especially not when you don’t know who could be watching. You’re meant to be _discreet_ with your powers, not to flaunt them around like you’re showing off for the circus!”

Chastised, Lazuli changes direction with her studies. She’s never put much stock into Divination until now, too focused on the offensive side of magic. But something catches her eye in a book late one night, piquing her interest. She reads fervently, her studies changing tracks as she tries to peer into the future. She manages it one day, a small glimpse a minute ahead of time. She keeps it to herself, determined to learn more before showing it off to her family.

It’s late one night when she fully achieves her goal, visions flashing before her eyes in a dizzying blur. She almost throws up, and she closes her eyes, steadying herself and preparing herself to attempt to see the visions once more. She breathes deeply and carefully as she opens her eyes slowly, attempting to channel her magic once more. The blur of images returns, just as sickening as before, but this time she’s prepared for it. She focuses carefully, trying to separate distinctive events. What she sees is enough to make her feel sick again.

_An endless battlefield riddled with arrows and bodies, blood staining the grass and running together. Lazuli can’t smell through visions, and she’s grateful for that; she thinks she’d smell corpses rotting in the hot Fructan air, and a horrible concoction of different types of blood. The thought of it is almost enough to break her out of her trance, but she forces herself to keep going, willing herself to see more visions. And the visions keep coming._

_She sees different battlefields with ongoing battles and hears the sounds of swords clashing, weapons clattering against shields, the sounds of armoured warriors falling to the ground in death. She desperately searches for any familiar faces but wishes she hadn’t a moment later. The battlefields all blur together and draw her in, flash face after face in front of her eyes. She had sought comfort in seeing them, hoping she’d be free from the views of war and violence. Instead, they all blend together in the forms of blood-stained corpses. She sees Rococoa with a sword through her heart, Citrina dead in a pile of other bodies, Sapphria struck down and face-down on the ground, Amethar burnt and cut. And she sees her own body filled with arrows, barely recognizable with all the blood. The images flash by quicker and quicker, filling her mind with the horrors of death._

Lazuli stumbles backward out of her visions, coughing and retching as tears flow freely from her eyes. What did the future have to bring that could be so terrible; that could bring so much death and devastation to Calorum. In the following days, Lazuli can’t meet her siblings’ eyes without seeing them dead. She knows they can tell something’s wrong, but she doesn’t want to talk to them about it. Something whispers to her that they deserve to know what’s coming for them, but she pushes it away and makes a promise to change the future. She _will not_ lose them to the horrors of war. She _will not_ let Candia fall into that disaster. So she starts planning.

* * *

After the incident, Lazuli starts looking into the future more, pushing past the endless battlefields, and she finds more hidden behind what she saw before. She finds different pathways, different opportunities branching out from every single decision. The possibilities are infinite, a fact that makes her dizzy to think about, something she ignores whenever she gets the chance. She sees futures where the war never happens, sees ones where none of them die, sees the horrible ways for everything to go wrong, all the ways their stories end. She can’t quite control the future, but she _can_ influence it in ways, something she manipulates to her advantage.

She starts thinking of the best possible outcomes of the future, begins analyzing every single one of her choices as she maps out the possibilities in her head. Her siblings notice quickly, Sapphria scolding her for being “too distant” on more than one occasion.

“I’m sorry,” Lazuli replies every time, though she notices the eye rolls around the room. “I’m just busy is all.” Something in her mind still screams out to her, demands she tell them all the truth. She pushes it back - why would it matter if she solved it, why would it matter if she made sure they all survived?

She figures out something key to her plan along the way, something she can’t get out of her head, no matter how hard she tries. _“What would the future look like if magic was everywhere?”_ The thought persists into her mind, and; rather than try to push it away, Lazuli welcomes it. Calorum might not be accepting of magic right now, but what if she changes their minds? What if she brings magic into the other kingdoms? She dwells on her thoughts during her waking hours and dreams of them while she’s asleep. But the more she maps out her plans, the more she realizes that she can’t do it by herself. She goes to Rococoa the next day, not quite sure what to say or how her sister will react to her plan. It goes {worse/better} than she expected.

“So what you’re saying is that, when I become Queen, you want to be my _Archmage?_ Lazuli, do you _know_ how the other kingdoms would react to that?” Rococoa stares at her in shock, clearly unsure how to respond. Lazuli fidgets in a rare display of nervousness, contemplating how much to relay to her sister. She hesitates for a brief second, thoughts running through her mind. _“There’s no point in telling her what I saw first; I can fix everything with this.”_

“I just think the smart move would be to start making magic more acceptable in Calorum. If the title of Archmage bothers them so much, then tell them I’m an alchemist until magic starts being accepted. Rococoa, you have to listen to me - _magic is important for the future._ ”

Rococoa hesitates for a moment longer, staring thoughtfully at Lazuli with a slight frown. “Lazuli, you _know_ what they’ll do to you - to _Candia_ \- if they find out the truth before they’re ready to accept it. Is magic really worth that risk?”

Lazuli nods silently, not breaking eye contact with her sister. Her more cynical thoughts still nudge at the back of her mind, nagging her to tell her siblings the truth. She ignores them once more; it won’t be the truth once her plan works. She can see reluctant agreement in Rococoa’s eyes, and she knows she’s winning, that her older sister agrees with her plan, and she breathes a barely-audible sigh of relief. It’s not over yet, but maybe it’s enough. Now she just needs to start the next step of her plan.

* * *

A few months later, she starts the Order of the Spinning Star, a secret monastery, made to protect Candia and Candian magic. She isn’t certain about her decision, but she _knows_ they’ll be important for Candia rather than all of Calorum. She starts vanishing from Castle Candy more and more, off to visit and train the monks there. Deep down, she knows that her siblings won’t approve of what she’s doing. She knows Citrina especially would disapprove, with all her Bulbian faith and divine goodness. But Lazuli doesn’t stop, too caught up in her plans, too caught up in trying to save her sisters and Candia. Too caught up in trying to preserve magic itself. _The Order is too important to care about sibling squabbles._

Somewhere in there, she acquires a ward, a young knight named Theobald Gumbar. He’s earnest, even if he’s a bit too much of a follower. She marks off the event in her mental checklist, narrowing down the ever-confusing maze of futures. She notices some strange pathways, some that catch her attention immediately, and she thinks that maybe they’ll turn out okay. It takes a bit to convince Theobald to learn magic, what with his belief that magic isn’t for him, but she knows that he’ll be a good student. And when he casts _Find Familiar_ for the first time, she’s amused to see a confused, blue sprinkle bounce into the room.

Her apprentice ducks his head in embarrassment at her surprised laugh, but she’s quick to tell him that he could’ve done worse and failed to cast the spell entirely. It’s hard to stifle a laugh when he names his familiar Sprinkle, but she covers her mouth and tries to hide her obvious amusement. _“It’s a fitting name, that’s for sure,”_ her thoughts tell her, and she can’t help but agree with them. She continues helping Theobald with his studies while focusing on her own work, the overlapping futures in her mind providing a great deal of incentive to keep her from giving up. She’s the only one who knows everything, so she might as well use that information to help Candia.

But still, she worries about the future more and more frequently - the visions get grimmer and more violent as time creeps on. She tries to ignore them, focusing on the minor decisions made by the people around her. It’s hard to keep it straight in her mind, but she doesn’t want anyone else to deal with the knowledge she’s taken on as a burden. She gives tasks to monks of the Order on occasion, trying to be best prepared for every outcome of the future, but she’s not certain it’ll be enough. The anxiety returns and fear returns, almost as bad as it was when she first looked into the future, but she doesn’t let anyone know. And when Citrina comes looking for her one night after visiting the monastery, Lazuli immediately knows what’s happened from the look on her sister’s face.

“You- You- The monks draw power from the _Hungry One?_ Lazuli what are you doing with them, what’s your goal with all of this? Did you stop to think for even _one second_ before you created the Order of the Spinning Star?” Citrina, while often considered the gentlest and sweetest of all of the siblings, has a temper to match that of Amethar. When she’s angry, it’s clear to everyone just from the look in her eyes. And Lazuli can tell that she’s _angry._

The Archmage raises her hands in defence, desperately trying to come up with a way to placate her sister and de-escalate the situation. But she gives in to her anger a second later, too tired and anxious to settle the matter peacefully.

“Citrina, the Order is more important for the future of Candia than you know - than _any_ of you know! Don’t you _dare_ ask me if thought before making this decision, I have put more thought into the future of Candia than the rest of you combined! Put aside your Bulbian prejudices and views for _one second_ and let me explain _what I’m doing._ Besides, if you talk any louder than you’ll wake the entire castle.”

Citrina’s glare conveys more anger than anything else Lazuli has ever seen - including Amethar’s temper tantrums. And if she had been anyone else, Lazuli would have frozen right then and there. But instead, she keeps going, her fears for the future fuelling her argument more than any anger or defensiveness.

“And maybe don’t jump right to conclusions and shoot off a bunch of angry questions without giving me even a second to explain myself. Now, if you’re willing to _listen_ to me, then I’ll explain everything.”

And while Citrina’s eyes remained mutinous, the third Rocks sister nodded her head at Lazuli to begin talking. And Lazuli, with a bit of hesitation, began to explain the importance of the Order - making sure to keep anything about deaths in the war out of it. With any luck, her measures would be enough to ensure the best possible future for Candia. Of course, luck isn't exactly one of Lazuli's best friends.

* * *

When the war starts, Lazuli freezes and instantly panics. Of course, she’s been expecting it for years; most of her visions for the past few months have been centred entirely around it. That fact doesn’t stop her fear or anxiety when war is declared, nor does it stop her anger when her father refuses to enter the war to help the Dairy Islands. When Jadain commits treason, a part of Lazuli is glad. But there’s another part of her that fears for the future, that knows the possible outcomes of this situation. Still, she pushes it to the back of her mind and urges her father to fight.

By the time Candia finally enters the war, Queen Pamelia is dead and alliances are rare. Castle Candy is filled with mourning and fear, the Rocks siblings the center of it. Lazuli throws herself into planning, trying to find a way for them to win the war and gather more allies. Futures flash through her head as she plans, choices and outcomes influencing all of her decisions. There’s one option that sticks out to her more than others, one that could turn the tides of the war. She doesn’t know everything about the future, nor does she pretend to, but she sees a path that leads to happiness for Candia, and she takes off running towards it.

But she freezes for a second, looking past the prosperous future she thinks she sees. _“Is this really the best option?”_ The thought is fleeting, but it’s enough to break the illusion. She sees the dead bodies she saw in her first vision, and all the blood and carnage she so longs for Candia to avoid. _“It’s just a possibility, not a guarantee,”_ she reminds herself frantically. _“Surely the world would not be so cruel.”_

And so she finds herself on Fructeran soil, her bow hanging loosely in her hands as her quiver is emptied of all but one arrow. Next to her stands Sir Theobald Gumbar, his fear well-hidden behind his mask and helmet. But his eyes betray him, and Lazuli feels her heart shatter with grief. _“He’ll never forgive himself for what I’m about to do,”_ her mind tells her, and for once, she agrees. She doesn’t have a choice in her own death, but she doesn’t want to bring Theobald with her to the grave.

“Theobald, you need to go!” she shouts to him, the pieces left of her heart breaking even more at the confusion and guilt on his face. _“Damn knights, always so noble. They never know how to stop protecting people. Someone needs to tell them that the responsibility is not theirs alone.”_

Theo shakes his head vehemently, but something in her eyes must speak to him because he salutes her one last time before stepping backwards. He turns and fights his way away from her, his eyes glancing back at her constantly. But she pays him no mind, only waiting until he’s far enough away to begin her final plan.

Lazuli stretches out her hands to summon a downpour of arcane arrows through _Conjure Barrage._ She’s glad she sent Theo away, she doesn’t want him to see what’s about to happen. It would destroy him even more than the war already has. For a moment, she hesitates in her spellcasting, her resolve flickering for a brief second. “ _Do I really want to go through with this?”_ She shakes her head, dismissing her doubts and steeling herself. _“This needs to happen; Gustavo needs to rule Fructera.”_

She raises her hands higher and casts the spell, raining arrows down on the surrounding battlefield - including herself. She closes her eyes and prepares herself for the impact, fear overtaking her as all the possible futures flash before her closed eyes. _“I need to do this.”_ It echoes in her head as the arrows begin to fall from the sky, and it’s the last thought to go through her mind before it all turns to darkness.

Archmage Lazuli Rocks dies with fear in her heart, but resolve in her mind. It’s hard to distinguish her body from the other ones all around the battlefield.

* * *

_Mother, I did this for you, and for the future of Candia. My dear siblings, forgive me - this had to happen this way. Everything else is in your hands now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) I can't promise you that these will get happier from here...  
> 2) In case you didn't realize this/are wondering why I started with Lazuli instead of Rococoa... I've decided that I'm going to write this in _death order_ as opposed to birth order  
> 3) I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up BUT I will try to get it done as soon as possible  
> 4) Sandr, if you're reading this, which Denny's are we meeting at?


	2. sapphria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Violence, implied suicidal ideation, depictions of depression, canonical major character death  
> Spoilers for ACoC 9

Sapphria Rocks’ name comes from sapphire, something that gets more and more fitting as she grows older. But for now, all it means to the Rocks Sisters is that there’s another member of team Gem Rocks. Of course, the teams don’t mean much when the only member of team Rock Rocks is the oldest sibling, but they like to use it as an excuse to gang up on her, Sapphria often leading the charge.

“But Rock Rocks,” she whines with a small smile and puppy-dog eyes, “you  _ promised _ that you’d play with us today instead of ignoring us.”

Amethar nods beside her, giving a semi-convincing heartbroken look, and Rococoa gives them a resigned sigh.

“Alright, I’ll play with you,” the oldest Rocks sister replies, and Sapphria and Amethar both cheer while Lazuli and Citrina watch with amused smiles. This continues for years in Castle Candy, something in Sapphria’s mind reminding her of the victory for team Gem Rocks every time she wins an argument for their side. And even when they grow old enough that the arguments don’t happen anymore, Sapphria keeps track of the score in her mind.

* * *

Out of all of them, Sapphria considers herself to be the best at hide-and-seek, especially at hiding. “It’s not bragging if it’s the truth,” she tells Citrina one day, only to be met with one of her older sister’s patented death glares.

“That’s not how bragging works, Sapphria!” Amethar shouts from across the room, pouting due to losing to his sister for the fifth time in a row. Lazuli and Rococoa watch in slight amusement as Sapphria throws a pillow at her brother.

“You’re just a sore loser because you suck at hiding,” she retorts, dodging out of the way and laughing as the pillow comes flying back towards her. “You can’t even hit me with a pillow, what can you do?”

Another pillow comes flying her way, and she giggles as it hits Citrina instead, the princess’s already angry look turning downright murderous in nature. Sapphria giggles again as her sister picks up the pillow and hurls it at Lazuli and Rococoa, the former of the two stifling a laugh. It hits Rococoa square in the face, and the silence that fills the room is telling. Until it’s broken by Lazuli and Amethar’s laughter, and Citrina’s stifled giggles.

“Pillow fight! Pillow fight! Pillow fight!” Sapphria chants, immediately grabbing the nearest pillow and ducking behind the couch. Immediately, pillows begin to fly across the room as laughter echoes through the hallways. And the scolding they get afterwards is more than worth it for the amount of fun they have. And, when they’re done getting in trouble, Sapphria leans over to Amethar with a smirk.

“So… hide-and-seek rematch?”

Of course, this almost starts another fight, but Sapphria decides it’s worth it.

* * *

It’s Rococoa who gets Sapphria interested in fighting, the princess watching her older sister’s lessons with wide eyes. She goes to their mother after a few days, full of determination.

“I want fighting lessons,” she says, entirely willing to start an argument if necessary. But she doesn’t have to; Queen Pamelia knows better than to argue with the youngest Rocks sister by this point. Sapphria, for all her petulant and childish anger at losing games to her siblings, has proven maturity and cunning in debates. So, instead of trying to lessen her daughter’s resolve or change her mind, the Queen just smiles.

“Do you want lessons with Rococoa, or do you want them on your own?” Pamelia asks, and Sapphria pauses to think for a moment.

“I want to learn with Rococoa,” she says decisively. “I want to be able to fight her.” It’s the desire to duel her sister that makes the decision for her - she wants to prove herself and  _ shine. _ Of course, the lessons don’t exactly go as she wants them to. She struggles at first, trying to mimic every move her sister makes and failing, tripping over her own feet. She contemplates giving up after a few days, but she forces herself to keep going. It’s after a lesson one day when Rococoa confronts her, convincing her to change tactics.

“Sapphria, you aren’t going to learn or improve by just copying what I’m doing,” the older Rocks sister says, part exasperated and part concerned. “I’m stronger than you, you’re just going to get hurt if you play to your weaknesses. Focus on your strengths rather than mine. You’re the best of us at hide-and-seek - use that to your advantage.”

It takes a few tries, but Sapphria manages to get the drop on her sister using Rococoa’s advice. She sneaks to the shadows and hides, completely vanishing from sight until she’s ready to strike. They’re unorthodox and dirty tactics, but Sapphria isn’t quite at the skill level to be able to fight clean. Besides, the looks on her siblings’ faces are worth it.

* * *

Once Sapphria’s mastered her tactics, she finds a new sparring partner - Calroy Gasteau from Muffinfield. He’s about Amethar’s age, but his tactics are much more suited to fighting Sapphria. They mimic each other’s fighting style on occasion, their sparring matches ending in ties more often than not. And though Calroy hangs out with Amethar more often than the rest of them, the two become good friends.

“What’s it like, being a Princess?” he asks her one day as they run through Dulcington, away from the castle. “Is it fun to be royalty?”

She shrugs, thinking about it for a second. “Castle Candy is nice, I guess. I think it’d be nice to just be normal for a day, but it’s hard when I’m so recognizable.”

He gets a sly smile on his face. “But what if you weren’t, your Highness?”

“What do you mean, Cal?” she asks him, and his smile only grows.

And that’s how Sapphria learns how to disguise herself as a peasant, how to act like she’s someone she’s not as wanders through the town with a different name and face. It takes a few tries to perfect her new identity, but she manages it after her many failed attempts at sneaking out. She meets Calroy in town, both disguised as they go around town as completely normal people for once.

“Thank you, Calroy,” she says later. “I liked getting to be normal like that, but I also think I prefer the castle. Maybe being Princess isn’t so bad, I think I’ll stick to that instead of peasant life.”

But she doesn’t stop the pranks and excursions; she doesn’t hate Castle Candy, she just loves the thrill of escaping. There’s something about the possibility of getting caught in a lie that keeps her in Dulcington as someone completely different, and there’s something about the adrenaline that makes her think about the rush of a battlefield.

* * *

Lessons in Castle Candy, though often considered boring or tedious by her siblings, are Sapphria’s favourite part of the day. Of course, they all pay attention for the most part, but Sapphria thinks she’s the only one who actually  _ enjoys _ them. She’s caught Amethar snoring more than once, gently nudging her younger brother to wake him up. He glares at her sleepily, begrudgingly turning his attention to the lesson at hand each time. But the complex history of all of Calorum catches her attention and draws her in, the ruthless world of politics piquing her interest almost immediately. She learns about court etiquette, about Candian history, about relations with other kingdoms, about the Bulbian Church and perceptions of magic. And everything about it fascinates her.

She starts reading more in her spare time, studying politics and the other kingdoms. She learns about the history of the Church and the history of Calorum as a whole. She teaches herself about the Meat Lands traditions and beliefs, about the Sweetening Path in Candia, about Vegetania and the Bulb, about the different governments and traditions in every kingdom. Every new piece of information intrigues her, and she refuses to take a break from reading except to mess around with her siblings. The world of politics becomes her dream, and she doesn’t give up easily on her plans.

* * *

When she becomes Candia’s diplomat, she paints herself as polite and sweet. Not that she  _ isn’t _ those things, but she makes the active choice to hide her mischievous side. She puts aside the desire to play pranks with her younger brother and puts on a sweet mask to endear her to the courts. She fools them with her pretend innocence, tricks them with faux naivety, and sneaks her way into inner secrets with her simple smiles. And they let her in on secrets, let her hear the whispers of the halls.

_ “The Princess Sapphria Rocks wears a mask to every meeting,” _ they say as she walks by in the corridors.  _ “Her smile and her attitude are a farce, don’t fall for her pretty face.”  _ She's not bothered by the remarks about her, however. It’s the other remarks, the ones she hears when they think she can’t hear them. Or, even worse, the comments they make in an attempt to rile her up. She does her best to ignore the whispers and rumours relating to her siblings, no matter how much they irk her, but it gets difficult to hide her anger.  _ “Princess Rococoa should focus more on ruling rather than fighting,” _ they say, and Sapphria resists the urge to scowl.  _ “Princess Lazuli performs magic, she worships the Hungry One!” _ they whisper loudly, and Sapphria hides her anger behind an overly-sweet smile.  _ “I hear Princess Citrina joined the Church, there goes a great chance for political marriages,” _ they remark snidely, and Sapphria barely holds herself back from snapping at them.  _ “It’s a good thing Prince Amethar will never be King - he doesn’t have the brains to lead a kingdom,” _ they comment cruelly, and it’s almost enough for Sapphria to break her calm facade.

But the Princess’ mask doesn’t shatter, nor does she take it off. She’s Candia’s Princess of the Courts, and she’ll be damned if she does anything to ruin that. So she puts on a pretty smile and lets the aristocrats think she’s a fool. Her vapid expression wouldn’t deceive anyone who truly knows her, but somehow it’s enough to convince some of the nobles in the hallway. They watch her pass, hiding laughter and smirks behind their hands.  _ “Poor girl, I bet she was forced into this role,”  _ they say, any pity they might have hidden behind malicious amusement. _ “I’ll bet she doesn’t even know anything about politics. Poor Candia, maybe things would go better for them with a new diplomat.” _

But the gossiping fools in the hallway aren’t the source of Sapphria’s fears, nor are they the ones to make her rethink her ambitions. That honour belongs to the politicians she’s slighted, the ones likely to seek revenge. Assassination attempts against her are rare, but she’s lost count of all the times she’s stolen away in the middle of the night to avoid risking an attack. It’s why she works harder to hone her fighting skills, why she practices hiding away. She thanks her childhood of pranks and games with her siblings quite frequently for everything they taught her. Her close escapes leave her full of fear, but also adrenaline - she doesn’t think she ever wants to give it up.

* * *

But the war starts, and Sapphria’s role is forced to change. Her father refuses to enter the war and help the Dairy Islands, and she goes along with her siblings to beg him to change his mind.

“Father,” she pleads, desperate, “you have to enter the war and help the Dairy Islands! Joren has already gone against your orders and sent reinforcements; they’ll turn against your rule if you don’t enter!”

“Sapphria,” her father replies, stone-faced. “Joren has already turned against my rule by entering the war. You’re just a child; I don’t expect you to know the horrors that war would bring to our family.”

But she continues to insist alongside her siblings, and eventually, King Jadain agrees with them. And it’s not long after that that Queen Pamelia falls, proving the King’s point exactly. But despite her heartbreak, Sapphria refuses to lessen her resolve. She’s been in the courts, she  _ knows _ what they say about her family. She doesn’t want anything else to tarnish the Royal House of Rocks.

Then Lazuli dies, and something inside Sapphria shatters into a million pieces. She thinks it might have been her heart, but the courts claim she hasn’t had one in years. She wishes it were true; she wishes loss wouldn’t hurt so much, wouldn’t rip and tear at something deep inside of her soul. Instead, she’s left with an empty hole, a gaping void in the shattered pieces of glass. She screams silently, her cries of grief echoing inside the chamber left behind by Lazuli - by everyone she’s ever lost.  _ “It’s not fair!” _ her thoughts screech at her, but she can do nothing but cry.  _ “It’s not fair…” _

Citrina finds her in her room hours later, slumped against the wall and staring off into space. She doesn’t look up at her sister’s entrance, resigned to hearing a spiel about Lazuli being in a better place, about love, about the  _ Bulb. _ But the resignation fades the moment Citrina opens her mouth, something grabbing hold of Sapphria’s feelings, filling her with fierce and burning  _ anger. _

“Sapphria-” Citrina starts, but she doesn’t get a chance to continue before Sapphria’s outburst.

“Where is your Bulb, Citrina? Where is your god, where are your  _ miracles? _ ” the Princess Sapphria cries out, her grief seizing control. “Your prayers couldn’t save Mom, and they sure couldn’t save Lazuli either! Why are you here now, to offer some empty platitudes? To promise me that everything will be okay, that they live in our memories and hearts, that they’re with the  _ Bulb _ now? Because I’m having a hard time believing that anything could be  _ fine _ right now.”

“Sapphria, I-” The look of hurt and shock and grief on Citrina’s face is almost enough to make her apologize, but she continues her angry tirade.

“You claim that the light of the Bulb shines on those who base their actions and choices on love, but where was that light for Lazuli? Was her love for Caramelinda, for  _ us _ , not enough for the Bulb to save her? Will it be enough to save the rest of us?”

“Sapphria!” Citrina looks angry now, but Sapphria is unrepentant until the tears start flowing down her sister’s face. “I was just coming here to check on you; Amethar was worried about you after you ran off, and none of us want to lose you too. You can’t be alone right now. Please, Sapphria…”

And that’s enough to bring back her tears and sadness, all rage left in her body dissipating as Citrina moves to embrace her. Sapphria collapses into her sister’s arms, and the two sit there sobbing until they have no tears left to cry.

* * *

And the war drags on, grief and loss weighing on Sapphria’s mind during every waking hour.  _ “Nothing good happens to a diplomat in war,” _ her mind tells her, but she shrugs it off. She’s a warrior, something her enemies would do well to remember. Time passes by, her mood changing with every new day. On good days, a spark of life reappears in her face. On these days, she laughs at jokes, talks to her siblings, and she feels happier, if only slightly. On bad days, she stares into space, looking at the wall as if staring through reality. On these days, she wills herself to see Lazuli again as though trying to bring her sister back to life. Her siblings find her like that sometimes, talking to the air as though Lazuli’s spirit were there. On other days, vengeance flares in her eyes as a fire of rage burns in her soul. It’s best to avoid her blade on these days, her anger fuelling her ruthless strikes. But on most days, her face is blank and empty, as though the world has nothing to offer her.

She doesn’t know if her siblings do the same, but her mind points out observations to her that she can’t help but pay attention to.  _ “Rococoa’s scared of the way this war is going; she thinks Candia will lose, and we’ll all die. Citrina just wants the war to end; she feels like the Bulb has abandoned her. Amethar is distant and angrier than ever; he wants the war to continue so he can get revenge. Lazuli is-” _ Sapphria is broken; she doesn’t care if the war takes her as long as it doesn’t take another member of her family. But the war drags on, bringing peril and danger ever nearer. It’s in the second year of the war when it finally reaches her.

* * *

Sapphria stumbles for the first time in years, unconsciously mimicking Rococoa’s fighting style and tripping over her feet as she tries to face her enemy head-on.  _ “I’m stronger than you, you’re just going to get hurt if you play to your weaknesses. Focus on your strengths rather than mine." _ Rococoa’s words echo in her mind, and she tries to follow the advice from years ago. But she isn’t able to react fast enough, she fails to swerve out of the way of the oncoming blow, and the Ceresian blade cuts deep into her shoulder. She staggers backward with a cry, dropping her sword as she goes. But she refuses to die here, she will not go down in such a pathetic way. So she raises her dagger in her good hand, lashing out at her surrounding enemies like a wounded animal. The blows rain down on her over and over, cutting into her and drawing blood. But Sapphria’s never been one to give up easily on anything. So she keeps fighting, even as she collapses to her knees, even as she can barely hold her dagger anymore, even as her eyes begin to close, even as she begins to go numb. The screams of metal and war are the last things she hears as her eyes close for one final time.

Princess Sapphria Rocks dies a warrior’s death, the peaceful Calorum she’d strived to create nothing more than a distant dream.

* * *

_ I’m sorry, Candia. You’ll need a new diplomat after this. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as possible now that I have less school work, but no promises. (I won't abandon this.)  
> 2) I tried to keep this chapter as canon-compliant as possible, but I did have to add a few things to it (her friendship with Calroy).  
> 3) I'm going to be making a new work with bonus scenes that never made it into the chapters! These include events/relationships that were revealed after a chapter was written (Lazuli/Caramelinda) and scenes that I planned to write, but decided to take out (hide-and-seek)!  
> 4) Special thanks to riz-gukgak-enthusiast for coming up with Rock Rocks/Gem Rocks, as well as helping out with Calroy's maiden name (Gasteau, a mix of Gaston and Gateau)!  
> Thank you for reading!


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